Le Villard, setting off from Chanac

Park in the car park near Chanac Town Hall.

(S/E) Take the Route du Pont Vieux (D132) opposite and follow it to the Pont Vieux.
Note: there is an alternative route 50 metres further on to the right, with a path leading directly down to the banks of the Lot.

(1) Before the bridge, take the road on the left that runs alongside the river; this is the Chemin des Rivières. Follow it until you reach the metal footbridge.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, passing Ressouches Castle on the right bank of the river. Continue along the path, which now moves away from the Lot as it climbs up to Le Villard.

(3) Pass an old farmhouse. Continue downhill, leaving the farrier’s workshop on your right and heading straight ahead. Pass the stone building on your left (the old school).

(4) At the bend after the fountain, take the wide track and you will then reach a junction where two paths meet.

(5) Turn right. After the steep climb, continue for about 500 m until you reach a crossroads.

(6) Turn left towards Le Sabatier. Walk through the hamlet, passing the bread oven.

(7) Turn left past the modern house. Continue, keeping to the right on the path that descends towards Chanac. You’ll reach a junction with a footpath at the edge of the Mende State Forest.

(8) Take the path opposite, following the valley floor through the state-owned forest. The single track overlooks the valley. Take care. Pass by the caves (baumes), a rocky and steep section. You’ll arrive level with the town hall and the car park (S/E).

Top Pick
The Church of Saint-Privat, which was probably originally the castle’s old chapel. Inside, a series of paintings adorns the walls

Places to Discover
On the rocky outcrop overlooking the River Lot downstream from Chanac, two settlements stand side by side:
- Le Villard Vieux, the first hilltop village,
- Le Villard Jeune, the second village.
In the Middle Ages, Le Villard was part of the manor of Chanac Castle, an episcopal possession of which only the famous keep remains today. Le Villard Jeune came into being in the^13th century, with the foundation of the castle.
At that time, the hamlet was a fortified outpost used to defend the western flank of the episcopal estate and thus protect it from the forces of the Capetian king based at La Canourgue, Chirac and Marvejols. Damaged during the Wars of Religion, Le Villard was subsequently abandoned in favour of Chanac. The hamlet gradually declined until it was completely abandoned in the^18th century.
In the 1980s, the ramparts, the church, the fortified gate and some of the houses were restored with support from central government and local authorities, including the municipality of Chanac, through a training-work programme. The renovated complex is a typical example of a medieval episcopal fortress. It is open at all times and visitors are free to explore it at their leisure.

Natural and Heritage Sites on the Route
• Commemorative plaque honouring the eight Resistance fighters who died for France in 1944,
• The Old Bridge,
• The private Château de Ressouches,
• The former episcopal fortress of Villard, and an old^16th-century farmhouse,
• Chazelle, rebuilt on the Causse,
• Baumes du Sabatier, rock caverns.